Scottish Executive

Air Traffic Control

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government regarding the economic impact in the Prestwick area of any proposed part-privatisation of National Air Traffic Control Services.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government about a wide range of matters including the issue of the New Scottish Centre (NSC) at Prestwick. The Executive supports the UK Government’s commitment to the NSC and is keen for the project to be delivered as soon as it is feasible. The public private partnership for National Air Traffic Services was completed on 26 July 2001.

Care of Elderly People

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage local authorities to support staff training for staff in the private elderly residential and care home sector.

Cathy Jamieson: The Action Plan for the Social Services Workforce, launched in April 2002, is underpinned by five strategic aims, one of which is "to raise investment and learning and support for all front-line staff in local authorities and the independent sector".

  To this end a sum of £3.5 million additional funding to local authorities was announced to support investment in training and opportunities for career development. We are writing to local authorities to ask them how they will be using this money and we will also be looking at what opportunities for training they intend to make available to all staff in the independent sector.

  We are also working closely with the Association of Directors of Social Work which is developing proposals to improve the support for all front-line staff.

Care of Elderly People

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to assist private elderly residential and care home providers in meeting the Care Commission’s target that at least half of their staff achieve Scottish Vocational Qualification level 2 or equivalent by 2005.

Cathy Jamieson: To help meet this aim registration of the workforce will be phased in over a number of years. The qualifications criteria for registration in phase one, that includes heads of residential care homes and heads of adult day care services, is out to consultation at the moment. Views are sought on a number of questions around the qualifications criteria and everyone has the opportunity to shape the final decision.

  Phase 2 will incorporate all other staff in residential care settings and a major task now for the Scottish Social Services Council is to set a timescale for its implementation.

  As part of regulating the workforce there are to be codes of practice and conduct for employees and their employers. These will set out the standards expected of each. For example these will cover expectations of employers in relation to supporting their staff.

  £3.5 million additional funding has been provided to local authorities to support investment in training and opportunities for career development. We will be asking local authorities to inform us of the training opportunities they make available to the independent sector staff.

Care of Elderly People

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact national minimum wage increases and European working time regulations have had on the private elderly residential and care home sector and what measures it has taken to alleviate any negative impact.

Mr Frank McAveety: The National Review Group Report on Care Home Costs for Older People in Scotland considered various ways of anticipating increases in care home costs. The group concluded that an increase in real terms should be applied to care home fees over the next three years, to take account of various pressures including wage increases.

  We will, in consultation with local authorities and the independent sector, determine the most appropriate means of uplifting care home fees shortly.

Care of Elderly People

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage local authorities to communicate effectively with private elderly residential and care home providers and their representatives.

Mr Frank McAveety: The National Review Group recommended that the sectors involved in the preparation of the Report on Care Home Costs for Older People in Scotland should continue to have regular meetings.

  In response to this recommendation, we will invite all the parties concerned to a meeting to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.

Care of Elderly People

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it assesses any differences in the costs of private elderly residential and care homes in comparison with similar homes run by local authorities.

Mr Frank McAveety: The costs of providing care for older people in local authority run care homes is a matter for individual councils. In their report in November 2001 the National Review Group on Care Home Costs stated that independent care homes were being publicly underfunded. To address this issue the Executive has recently committed over £50 million of extra expenditure provision for the sector in the period to 31 March 2003.

Care of Elderly People

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities are ineligible to receive funding for free personal care because they are not in a position to provide or arrange the required services.

Mr Frank McAveety: Every local authority has been allocated sufficient resources from the Scottish Executive to fund free personal care.

Children and Young People

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in implementing the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guideline 52 , Attention Deficit and Hyperkinetic Disorders in Children and Young People .

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally. The implementation of SIGN guidelines is a matter for NHS boards, in consultation with other authorities as appropriate.

Children and Young People

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what methods were used to inform local authorities, including social work services and education services, of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guideline 52, Attention Deficit and Hyperkinetic Disorders in Children and Young People .

Malcolm Chisholm: This was principally a clinical guideline. However, as well as its distribution to all primary care trusts, acute trusts and NHS boards in Scotland, copies were sent to all members of the Scottish Parliament Health and Community Care Committee and other MSPs and individuals who had registered an interest in receiving the guideline upon its publication, relevant voluntary organisations and all related member organisations of the SIGN Council, which includes the British Association of Social Workers. There was also a media campaign aimed at raising public and clinical awareness resulting in widespread TV, radio, newspaper and medical press coverage. The guideline is of course available for all interested persons to see at the SIGN website:

  http://www.sign.ac.uk/guidelines/published/index.html.

Children and Young People

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to assist NHS boards and local authorities, including social work services and education services, in drawing up a framework for complete implementation of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guideline 52, Attention Deficit and Hyperkinetic Disorders in Children and Young People .

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has no such plans. The implementation of SIGN guidelines is a matter for NHS boards, in consultation with other authorities as appropriate.

Children and Young People

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place in respect of any local authorities and NHS boards that do not implement the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guideline 52, Attention Deficit and Hyperkinetic Disorders in Children and Young People .

Malcolm Chisholm: No such measures exist. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guidelines are best practice guidelines primarily intended for use by clinicians, and are not intended to be construed or to serve as mandatory standards of medical care, as is made clear in section 1.4 of guideline 52. Their implementation is a matter for NHS boards in consultation with other appropriate authorities.

Civil Servants

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the policy analyst posts advertised on 14 June 2002 have now been filled.

Mr Andy Kerr: The policy analyst recruitment process is still on-going and selection decisions are not expected for some weeks. At this level of recruitment, successful candidates are likely to be subject to three months notice to their current employers. It is likely therefore that the majority of successful candidates will join the Executive from the beginning of 2003.

  Successful candidates will fill posts at policy analyst level that are vacant at the time of their appointments. In the meantime the vacancy position remains fluid as posts are filled or vacated by the internal movement of existing policy analyst staff.

Civil Servants

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the news release SENW065/2002 on 14 August 2002, what (a) powers and (b) involvement it has in respect of appointing a new Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Executive.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27031 on 23 July 2002.

Courts

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27460 by Mr Jim Wallace on 6 August 2002, whether, in calculating the additional cost of implementing the transfer of sheriff court business from Peebles to either Edinburgh or Selkirk, an informed assessment of any additional costs associated with the use of police resources, including personnel, will be made.

Mr Jim Wallace: Yes. The Scottish Court Service will be consulting with Lothian and Borders Police on the options for future provision of court services in Peebles.

Enterprise

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many supermarkets there (a) are currently and (b) have been in each of the last 10 years per capita in each local authority area, broken down by company.

Iain Gray: The information requested is not held centrally.

European Union

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it made any representations to (a) the European Commission and (b) Her Majesty’s Government in respect of the merging of the European councils on fisheries and agriculture and, if so, what the nature of any such representations was and what the response was.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of European issues. We will work closely with the UK Government in ensuring that Scotland’s interests are taken fully into account in the merged Agriculture and Fisheries Council.

Ferry Services

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 will apply to the transfer of employees from P&O Scottish Ferries to Northlink Ferries on 1 October 2002.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28319 on 6 September 2002.

Further And Higher Education

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on advertising (a) in total and (b) on average per student by each further and higher education institution in each of the last five years.

Iain Gray: This is a matter for individual institutions. The information requested is not held centrally.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support the establishment of a specialist stroke unit.

Malcolm Chisholm: Realising the benefits of stroke unit care will be a central element of the CHD/Stroke strategy which the Executive will publish in the autumn. The evidence for their effectiveness is also integral to the standards for stroke care currently being developed by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland. Both the strategy and the standards will promote implementation of the recommendation in Adding Life to Years , the report of the Chief Medical Officer’s Expert Group on the Health care of Older People which we published in January of this year, that stroke patients admitted to hospital should be managed in a stroke unit.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact a specialist stroke unit would have on the mortality and prognosis of stroke sufferers.

Malcolm Chisholm: There is good evidence that care in specialised stroke units reduces the number of deaths, leads to fewer admissions to long-term care and increases the number of patients able to return home to independent living.

Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to (a) cancer and (b) heart and stroke research in each of the last three years.

Malcolm Chisholm: Cancer, heart and stroke are Scottish Executive health research priorities. Over the last three financial years, the Scottish Executive has spent the following on:

  (a) Cancer Research.

  

 

1999-2000
(£ million) 
  

2000-01
(£ million) 
  

2001-02
(£ million) 
  



1. Direct funding - research projects 
  

1.2 
  

1.4 
  

1.6 
  



2. Indirect funding – to support research in NHS Scotland 
  

6.2* 
  

7.1 
  

7.7 
  



3. Total 
  

7.4 
  

8.5 
  

9.3 
  



  *Estimate; data for cancer and heart and stroke research not recorded separately in 1999-2000.

  In addition, the Scottish Executive has spent £0.4 million per annum over the last three years on the Scottish Cancer Therapy Network. The network does not itself undertake research but provides data management support for clinical audit and clinical trials.

  (b) Heart and Stroke Research.

  

 

1999-2000
(£ million) 
  

2000-01
(£ million) 
  

2001-02
(£ million) 
  



1. Direct funding - research projects 
  

1.2 
  

1.9 
  

1.5 
  



2. Indirect funding – to support research in NHS Scotland 
  

4.1* 
  

4.7 
  

5.3 
  



3. Total 
  

5.3 
  

6.6 
  

6.8 
  



  *Estimate; data for cancer and heart and stroke research not recorded separately in 1999-2000.

  Details on individual projects are available from the National Research Register (NRR), a copy of which is in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 17404).

Hospitals

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the bed occupancy rates were at acute hospitals in each of the last two years for which figures are available, broken down by (a) medical and (b) surgical.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table gives the percentage bed occupancy in acute trusts. The percentage bed occupancy for acute surgical specialties and acute medical specialties is also given for each trust. The year ending March 2002 data is provisional.

  NHSiS – Bed Occupancy1; by NHS Trust of Treatment2,3; Acute Surgical and Medical Specialities: Year Ending 31 March

  

 

2001 
  

2002P




Scotland 
  

78 
  

78 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

74 
  

73 
  



Acute Medical 
  

83 
  

82 
  



Argyll and Clyde Acute 
  

80 
  

80 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

73 
  

73 
  



Acute Medical 
  

86 
  

86 
  



Ayrshire and Arran Acute 
  

80 
  

79 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

75 
  

74 
  



Acute Medical 
  

85 
  

84 
  



Borders Acute 
  

75 
  

75 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

70 
  

71 
  



Acute Medical 
  

79 
  

77 
  



Dumfries and Galloway Acute 
  

71 
  

72 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

64 
  

65 
  



Acute Medical 
  

78 
  

78 
  



Fife Acute Hospitals 
  

82 
  

79 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

78 
  

75 
  



Acute Medical 
  

84 
  

83 
  



Forth Valley Acute 
  

74 
  

72 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

71 
  

71 
  



Acute Medical 
  

78 
  

74 
  



Grampian University Hospitals 
  

78 
  

78 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

73 
  

73 
  



Acute Medical 
  

83 
  

84 
  



Highland Acute 
  

76 
  

77 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

68 
  

68 
  



Acute Medical 
  

84 
  

86 
  



Lanarkshire Acute 
  

75 
  

79 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

72 
  

76 
  



Acute Medical 
  

78 
  

82 
  



Lothian University Hospitals 
  

84 
  

80 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

80 
  

76 
  



Acute Medical 
  

87 
  

83 
  



North Glasgow University Hospitals 
  

79 
  

78 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

74 
  

73 
  



Acute Medical 
  

83 
  

83 
  



Orkney Health Board Unit 
  

57 
  

51 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

57 
  

51 
  



Acute Medical 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Shetland Hospitals and Common Services Unit 
  

68 
  

70 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

52 
  

53 
  



Acute Medical 
  

80 
  

83 
  



South Glasgow University Hospitals 
  

82 
  

81 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

76 
  

75 
  



Acute Medical 
  

87 
  

86 
  



Tayside University Hospitals 
  

80 
  

81 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

78 
  

79 
  



Acute Medical 
  

82 
  

83 
  



West Lothian Health care 
  

80 
  

79 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

77 
  

76 
  



Acute Medical 
  

83 
  

84 
  



Western Isles Health Board Unit 
  

72 
  

73 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

64 
  

65 
  



Acute Medical 
  

78 
  

79 
  



Yorkhill 
  

64 
  

67 
  



Acute Surgical 
  

62 
  

62 
  



Acute Medical 
  

66 
  

70 
  



  pProvisional.

  Notes:

  1. The figures presented in the tables are averages over the year. The percentage of available staffed beds that were occupied by in-patients during the year [derived as: (total occupied bed days/all available staffed beds)*100].

  2. Any information for primary care trusts included in the Scotland Summary.

  3. Includes joint-user and contractual hospitals.

Individual Learning Accounts

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25845 by Iain Gray on 27 May 2002, what progress it has made in considering a successor to the individual learning accounts scheme and when it now plans to announce details of such a scheme.

Iain Gray: Work on the formulation of a successor to the individual learning account scheme continues to make progress. Officials are currently consulting key stakeholders about my plans in principle and will in due course confer with them further about the operational details. I intend to launch the successor scheme when I am satisfied that it will incorporate the required improvements on the first programme. I expect to make an announcement before the end of the year.

Mental Health

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give details of the monitoring framework for measuring the implementation of The Same as You? .

Mr Frank McAveety: In addition to the work of The Same as You?  National Implementation Group, the Scottish Executive is monitoring implementation of The Same as You? through contact with local authorities, Scottish Health Advisory Service inspections, the NHS Performance Assessment Framework, and statistical information collected by the Scottish Executive Social Work Statistics Division. The development of a Learning Disabilities database will also assist in future monitoring.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when research was last commissioned into mental illness and possible cures and whether it will place a copy of any such research in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has funded or plans to fund research into possible cures for mental illnesses and, if so, whether a copy of any such research will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) is primarily a response mode funder of research and this role is well known and advertised throughout the health care and academic community. Mental health is a research priority and given the number of high quality applications received in recent years, direct commissioning has not been considered necessary. The CSO is currently directly funding 40 research projects on mental health at a cost of £4.1 million. As well as trials of treatment for mental illness, the projects include epidemiological and methodological work which is an essential basis for developing and evaluating treatments and services. Additionally, through the Research and Development Support Fund, the NHS in Scotland spent £2.8 million on 385 research projects related to mental health issues in 2001-02. These projects are recorded on a UK-wide research database called the National Research Register (NRR) which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 17404).

Nuclear Power

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact will be on businesses and domestic consumers of the reduction in electricity supply as a result of the closure of Torness Power Station and what negotiations it has had with ScottishPower on this matter.

Lewis Macdonald: Scotland has an excess of generating capacity, much of it flexible and responsive to changes in demand. The temporary shutdown of two reactors at Torness Power Station should have no impact on businesses and domestic consumers.

Nuclear Power

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) negotiations it has had with and (b) instructions it has given to, (i) the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and (ii) Her Majesty’s Nuclear Installations Inspectorate regarding the closure of reactor two due to problems with a gas circulator at Torness Power Station in May 2002 in view of any impact this may have on the environment.

Lewis Macdonald: None. No such concerns arise in relation to the current shutdown at Torness.

Police

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to upgrade or rebuild the police station at Peebles; whether consideration has been given to building a combined police station and courthouse; whether such a combined police station and courthouse has been built elsewhere, and, if so, how much it cost.

Mr Jim Wallace: Provision of a police station at Peebles is a matter for Lothian and Borders Police. I am not aware of any proposals for upgrading or refurbishing the police station at Peebles nor of any plans for building a combined police station and courthouse at Peebles. No combined police station and courthouse have been built elsewhere in Scotland in recent years.

Post Office

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to support post offices and sub post offices in (a) urban deprived areas and (b) rural areas.

Allan Wilson: Post Offices and postal services are reserved matters. The UK Government has already put in place a number of measures to maintain the network of rural post offices. These include the formal requirement placed on the Post Office in November 2000 to prevent any avoidable closures. For its part, the Scottish Executive is demonstrating its commitment to rural post offices through the provision of rates relief for qualifying rural outlets.

  Additionally, as part of the Scottish Executive’s commitment to providing services in deprived urban areas, we are currently considering support for post offices in these locations and I hope to be able to advise you further in due course.

Prison Service

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support networks are in operation (a) nationally and (b) locally for ex-offenders with a mental illness.

Malcolm Chisholm: We published a care pathway document last year on the who, what, when and where of joined up services and support for mentally disordered offenders. The care and the custody agencies are working together and with others to organise the necessary care, support and accommodation that addresses the range of needs presented by this important group.

  The guidance is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 12345).

Prison Service

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the prison population has been diagnosed with a mental illness to date.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The prevalence of mental health problems within the prison population is not known with any precision. Studies have ranged from 3% to 82% of the prison population.

  The last major studies undertaken within Scottish prisons were, by Dr David Cooke, Psychological Disturbance amongst Prisoners and, by Dr James McManus, Mentally Disturbed Prisoners. Both were published by SPS as Occasional Papers in 1994 no’s. 3 and 4 respectively.

Prison Service

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the prison population diagnosed with a mental illness is currently in receipt of specialist treatment and what form such treatment takes.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The services of psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health nurses are available within Scottish prisons for all those prisoners assessed as in need of such. Available treatments include drug therapy, group and individual work, as appropriate.

Procurator Fiscal Service

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of people employed in procurator fiscal offices.

Colin Boyd QC: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is increasing its staffing levels. At 1 August 2001 it employed 1,181.4 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff. At 1 August 2002 this number had risen to 1,306.6 staff (FTE). Since May 2002 the department has recruited 29 new Depute Fiscals and a recruitment exercise is for further depute posts will commence in September. The department is currently recruiting area business managers for each of the 11 fiscal areas and will be holding a recruitment/selection exercise for further administrative posts in fiscal offices in the autumn.

Public Private Partnership

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what regulations govern tender lists for the appointment of consultants in respect of proposed PFI/PPP schemes and housing stock transfers; whether there are any (a) statutory or (b) other requirements on (i) local authorities and (ii) other public bodies to draw down funds to finance such consultancy, and whether any records of such tendering processes are kept by (1) the Executive, (2) local authorities, (3) Audit Scotland and (4) any other body.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are no specific regulations addressing the appointment of consultants in respect of PFI/PPP projects and housing stock transfers. Directive 92/50/EEC (given effect in the UK by the Public Services Contracts Regulations 1993, SI 1993 No. 3228) establishes certain procedural rules which must be followed when awarding public service contracts. Also, the Local Government Act 1998 places certain requirements on local authorities in respect of the award of contracts.

  The Executive does not maintain central records of such contracts. Local authority contracts are a matter for the authority concerned. Records held by Audit Scotland are a matter for it, rather than the Executive.

Research and Development

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing for the development of nanotechnology.

Iain Gray: Significant amounts of Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) block grant funding to universities are being used to support teaching and research staff who are working in the field of nanotechnology. Most of Scotland's universities already have departments which are engaged in nanotechnology research - typically these include engineering and life sciences departments. In addition, since 1997, SHEFC has awarded nine Research Development Grants into nanotechnology related areas, totaling over £8 million. SHEFC has also funded three Joint Research Equipment Grants in nanotechnology related areas. In many cases this funding has underpinned additional support from the UK Research Councils, European Framework programmes and directly from industry.

  Our universities are also able to access existing support vehicles - such as the Proof of Concept Fund - to assist in the commercialisation of research in this area.

Scotland Act 1998

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedure is required to amend Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998.

Patricia Ferguson: Section 30(2) of the Scotland Act 1998 allows for Her Majesty by Order in Council to make any modifications of Schedule 4 or 5 which She considers necessary or expedient. An order under this section requires the approval of each House of Parliament and of the Scottish Parliament by affirmative resolution.

Scottish Executive Advertising

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27518 by Mr Andy Kerr on 13 August 2002, whether its departments have any evidence and/or statistics on the effectiveness of each advertising campaign carried out since May 1999 and whether it will place a copy of any such evidence or statistics in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Mr Andy Kerr: Methods of evaluating advertising campaigns are undertaken in a number of ways, as set out in my previous answer, and the results recorded in a variety of formats. To provide the information in the form requested would result in disproportionate cost.

Suicide

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to accident and emergency units regarding the treatment of patients that have attempted suicide.

Malcolm Chisholm: There has been no such guidance issued. However, in 1998, a report prepared by a multidisciplinary Working Group of the National Medical Advisory Committee on The Management of Patients With Mental Disorders and/or Disturbed Behaviour Who Present to Accident and Emergency Departments was distributed to NHS boards throughout Scotland.

  A telephone advice line, aimed particularly at young men who are at risk of suicide, was launched in April 2002.

Voluntary Sector

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the Quality of Life funding to local authorities announced on 11 August 2002 was allocated to voluntary sector organisations.

Mr Andy Kerr: A number of local voluntary organisations will benefit from the Quality of Life funding through the provision of resources to local clubs, play-schemes and community-based projects. However, the exact allocation to these organisations is a matter for each local authority to decide.

Water Authorities

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the operational budget was for each water authority in each year since 1996, expressed as (a) a monetary value and (b) a percentage of the overall budget.

Ross Finnie: The figures requested are given in each of the water authorities’ published accounts. Copies of their accounts as laid before the Scottish Parliament and, pre-devolution, the Westminster Parliament, back to 1996-97 are held in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. Bib. numbers are as follows:

  


Water Authorities’ Published Accounts 
  

Scottish Parliament Information Centre – 
  Bib. numbers 
  



NoSWA 
  

ESWA 
  

WoSWA 
  



1996-97 
  

97515 
  

12833 
  

12836 
  



1997-98 
  

12832 
  

12834 
  

12837 
  



1998-99 
  

4005 
  

12835 
  

4004 
  



1999-2000 
  

8790 
  

7898 
  

7925 
  



2000-01 
  

16464 
  

17792 
  

16463 
  



  Accounts for 2001-02 are nearing completion and will be laid in due course.

Water Supply

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions in respect of the contamination of water supplies there were in each of the last three years; whether any of these cases involved proceedings against officials of the former three water authorities, and what range of penalties were imposed in each case.

Mrs Elish Angiolini: Contamination of water supplies may constitute one of a number of offences, some of which cover a wider range of conduct than merely contamination of the supply. We cannot, therefore, identify such cases without a manual search of all possible papers. Similarly, we could not identify cases involving officials of former water companies without a manual search.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliament Building

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Presiding Officer what discussions the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has held with the City of Edinburgh Council and local bus companies regarding public transport options and traffic management to ensure adequate transport links for visitors to and from the new Parliament building at Holyrood.

Sir David Steel: The City of Edinburgh Council gave a presentation to the Holyrood Progress Group on 6 November 2001 outlining their proposals for public access to the Holyrood area of the city, including access to the new Parliament building. Precise details concerning actual routes and timetables will not be known until nearer the time of occupation, but I understand that these issues are under active consideration by both the council and local bus companies.